Type-writing machine.



E. P. GRIFFIN; TYAPBWRTNG MACHINE. APPLICATON FILED DBO.1, 1908. y

Patented Fb. 11, 1913.

entran salirse rari-ina ernten.

EDWIN-F. GRIFFIN, OF SYRACSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T O INTERNATIONAL TEXT BOOK COMFANY, OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

Speciication of Letters Patent. i

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

Patented lieb.. 11, 1913.

Application filed December 1, 1908. Serial No. 465;1'78.

Improvements inType-Writing Machines,

- of which the following is` a specification.

.The present invention relates to improvements in typewriting machines and particularly to the means employed for e'ecting a relative adjustment betweenthe platen and printing devices to position said parts lfor writing upper case characters.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple but effective latch or locking Ineans by which the parts of the typewriter will be automatically locked in upper case position when one of two shifting keys is actuated, said lock being automatically released by the actuation of the other shift key and the movements of the latter being ineffective to'shift the locking member into operative position. y

1While the invention may be applied to various styles of typewriting machines, it is shown inthe accompany-ing drawing as embodying a machine of the character in which the platen is-shifted vertically relative to the printing devices for adjusting such parts to upper case 7 position. l

ln the drawings, Tligure 1 is a sectional view through a typewriter having the present invention applied thereto, the parts not constituting the invention being shown more or less conventionally; Figs. 2, 3, and l are detail views, partly in section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 and showing the several positions assumed by'the latch plate or detent.

In the drawings, 1 designates a platen which is supported in the carriage 2 in such a manner as to be rocked in a substantially vertical direction to vary its relation to the type bars one of which is indicated in dotted lines at 3. The vertical movements of the platen are effected by depressing either of two shift keys 4, 5, which are connected with a bell crank lever 6 mounted in the frame of the machine and supporting on one arm a roller or wheel 7 which engages a rod 8 of the platen supporting frame. This rod S extends throughout the length of t-he carriage andnconnects two pivotallymounted arms in the upper edges of which are formed depressions or seats to receive the platen shaft. One of such arms is shown at 9.

The particular connection between the bell crank lever 6 and the shift keys 4, 5, illus- .trated in the drawing comprises a rod or link 10 which connects said belli crank with an arm 11 en a rock shaft 12 mount-ed in the lower portion of the frame of the machine.

. A key or rib 13 on the shaft 12 extends into slots lll formed in two levers 15, 16, connected respectively with the keys 4, 5, and

fulcrumed on the rod 12. Suitable meansrod 12 in the position shown in Fig. 1 with.

the rib or lrey at the upper ends of slots 14C and by this construction it will be seen that either key lever 15, 16 can he depressed and .the bell crank 6 thereby actuated to shift the platen without causing any' movement of the other lever.

The key 5 is the key commonly termed the shift key and may be duplicated, one of such keys being arranged at each side of the machine, while the key 4 is the key known as the shift lock key. 'Means are provided whereby when the key is depressed Sulliciently to adjust the parts into upper case position it will be aiitoi'iiatically lengaged by a detent or latch and the parts be thus retained in adjusted position until said detent or latch is released by the operator.

In the present' invention the latch or detent comprises a plate 17 which is pivotally supported at 18 on a lug or ear 19 extending inwardly from the sidewall of the base of the machine frame. In said plate is formed a slotQO which opens through the lower edge of the plate and in which the shift lock key lever l5 is received when said lever is in its normal inoperative position- The plate 17 is provided with a laterally projecting toe 21 which, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, extends partially across the lower edge of the shaft key lever 16 when the latter is in its elevated position.

The slot 20, as shown more particularly in Fig. 3, is inclined and rwhen the lever 15 is in position therein the latch plate 17 is rockedL about its pivot so that when said lever 15 is depressed and moved from said slot-the plate will automatically be shifted into the position shown in Fig. 3 in which it extends over and bea-rs on'the upper edge of said lever. By this means the platen and printingdevices are so positioned that whep the machine is operated only cupper ease los characters will be printed. The M0 of said levers extends, t-he latch being norlateral rocking of the latch 17 following 'a depressionof the key lever 15 causes the toe 21 to extend entirely across the lower face of the l'ey lever .16 and if this liever be def pressed slightly the latch will. be rocked to bring the slot'QO over the lever 15 when the latter will be instantly raised, by the aetioncf the'usual spring. It will be understood that both levers 15, 16, are providedy with the usual springs which act to normally hold them in the elevated position shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

. Referring to Fig. 2, lit will beseen that the slot 20 is of suchlwidth that the latch plate 17 can freely move laterally, suiiciently to'permit the lever '16 to be de? pressed. Then this lever is depressed the platen will be adjusted vertically in the same manner that itfis when the key lever 15 is actuatedv b ut the parts will not be locked in adjusted position.' Thev position of the/latch plate when the key lever 16 aloneA is depressed is shown in Fig. 4. The' lateral locking movement of the plate 17 is limited by a downwardly projecting portion 22 which vextends below the upper edge of the key llever 15 when'the latter is in its lowermost position.

Having thus described the invention ,what

is claimed is,

1. In a typewri'ting machine, the combina-, tion with two key levers arranged side by' side and each adapted when depressed to eii'ect` a relative movement between the platen'and printing devices to position said parts for writing up-per case characters,

of a movable latch or detent having in its' lower edge a notch or slot, into which one mally held.` in an inactive position by one of the shift levers, and being automatically moved to maintain said lever depressed when the latteris actuated, and having amember adapted to be engaged to rock the latch inY the opposite direction when the other lshift lever is'depressed.

2. In a typewriting machine, the combina-` tion with two parallel key levers each adapted when depressed to effect a relative movement between the platen and printing devices. to position said parts for` writing upper' yeffect a relative side and each. adapted when depressed. to

effect a. relative movement between the platen and printing devices to position said parts for writing upper case characters,

of a latch plate mounted to move transversely of said levers, said plate havingformed therein an inclined slot that extends through the lower edge of the plate and receives one ofsaid levers when the latter is in its elevated, inoperative position, said plate automatically moving into position to positively maintain said lever depressed when the latter is moved from said slot, and 'means actuatedby theother key lever for -movingthe plate ina reverse direction, the

width of the slot-v in the plate permitting such movement when the iirst .mentioned lever is elevated.

4. In a typewritingmachine, the combination with two key levers arran ed Side by side and each adapted when epressed to platenand printing devices to position said parts for writing upper case? characters',

movement between the of-a latch plate xmounted to move trans# versely of said levers, said plate having formed therein an inclined slot that extends through the lower edge of the pla-te and receives one of said levers when the latter is in its elevated, inoperative, position, and

said plate automatically moving into'position to positively maintain saidlever depressed when the latte;` is moved from said slot, means for positively limiting vsuch movement of the plate, and means actuated by the other key lever for moving the lplate in areverse direction, the width of the slot in the plate permittingsucli movement when the first mentioned lever is elevated.l

` 5. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a. shift key lever and a shift lock7 key lever arranged side by side, of a movable latch plate having therein an inclined slot 'that opens through its lo-wer edge and which receives the shift 1 ock, key lever when the latter is in normal, inoperative, posit/ion', said lever` when ,depressed passing below the open end of said slot and permitting the latch to automatically move over and retain it such operative position, and means for causing said latch to move in a direction to release the shift lock7 key lever when the shift key is actuated.

In testimony whereof I affix my-signature in presence of two witnesses.

VEDWIN F'. GRIFFIN.

Witnesses:

H. E. CHASE, F. J. TANNER.

i ACopies of this patent may be obtained for ve lcents each, by addressing' the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

